A typical elastically stretchable diaper closure elements each comprises an inelastic and reinforced attachment region to which a closure component can be attached. It is punched from a textile web having parallel and mutually spaced film strips composed of an elastically stretchable polymer laminated between two cover layers of nonwoven textile.
DE 10 2004 035 649 discloses a method for producing diaper closure elements. The nonwoven webs are glued directly to each other in regions between the elastic film strips. The diaper closure elements punched out of the textile web each have an elastic stretch region and two bilaterally flanking attachment regions of nonwoven. The diaper closure elements can be in the form of strips or have the form of so-called diaper ears, the attachment region of which on one diaper is wider than the attachment region for attaching the closure component. Strong forces are transferred through the closure component to the diaper closure element. A rigid attachment region with high tensile strength is advantageous in terms of a uniform application of force to the diaper closure element. In addition, care must be taken that the attachment regions composed of nonwoven not fray or plastically stretch when the diaper closure elements are stretched up to the elastic limit of the elastic range in use.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,255,236 discloses a diaper closure element that has an elastic film as the core layer and nonwoven layers laminated onto the core layer. The nonwoven layers and the core layer are of identical outside dimensions, i.e. the elastic core layer in the stretch direction is of the same width as the bilaterally laminated layers of nonwoven. Both the attachment region for the closure component and the attachment region for securing to a diaper are reinforced by a layer of an inelastic polymer. Reinforcement is effected by a high-tensile-strength film, for example of a polypropylene homopolymer, that is laminated in the attachment regions between the elastic film and one of the two cover layers, and that restricts the elasticity of the elastic core layer. Since elastic polymers are expensive materials, there is a need to keep the relative proportion of elastic polymer in the composite material as low as possible without this negatively affecting the elasticity and mechanical properties of the composite material
U.S. Pat. No. 6,051,094 discloses a diaper closure element that has a backing comprising elastic and inelastic regions. The backing is composed, in particular, of a coextruded film comprising an elastic core layer and inelastic cover layers. A textile is laminated to one face of the backing. A closure component is attached to the other face of the backing. An elastic stretch region is generated by local stretching in which the inelastic cover layers of the backing and the laminated nonwoven are overstretched in certain regions. This is characterized as selective mechanical activation. The other disadvantageous aspect here is that the elastic backing extends across the entire width of the diaper closure element having the inelastic attachment regions. A further disadvantageous aspect is that the diaper closure element has a textile surface only on one side.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,875,710 describes a diaper closure element comprising a textile backing composed for example of a nonwoven. The backing is reinforced in predetermined regions by a layer of an inelastic polymer applied in a thermoplastic state so as to infiltrate at least part of the fiber structure of the nonwoven layer. In another region located at a spacing therefrom, the backing has a coating of a thermoplastic elastomer that also infiltrates at least part of the fiber structure of the nonwoven and creates an elastic stretch region. If the material is stretched up to the elastic limit of the elastic range, there is the risk that the textile composed exclusively of nonwoven will be plastically deformed and destroyed between the elastic region and the inelastic regions.